Crime briefs

SEBRING - The former manager of the Circle K store on Hammock Road has been accused of stealing more than $8,000 from the business, according to a report released Friday.

Bryan Barber, 40, 4125 Lakewood Drive, Sebring, was arrested by the Highlands County Sheriff's Office on a warrant and charged with two counts of third-degree grand theft.

Authorities accuse Barber of stealing $4,445 on Oct. 2 that he should have deposited and $3,830 on Oct. 3 that he should have deposited, the warrant said.

Woman arrested on robbery, battery charges

AVON PARK - An Avon Park woman was arrested after being accused of assaulting her former employer and attempting to take money from her, according to a report released Thursday.

Queeanna Shenay Thomas, 23, 1020 Hal McRae Loop, Avon Park, was arrested by the Highlands County Sheriff's Office and charged with aggravated battery on a pregnant woman and robbery without a firearm or a weapon.

The circumstances leading to the arrest began when Thomas entered the Shell Service Station in Avon Park to get her final paycheck, an arrest report said.

Thomas received her check and believed she was shorted some hours, the report said.

She told the manager she was going to take money from her purse to make up for that, the report said.

The manager, who is pregnant, told police that when she attempted to stop Thomas from taking the money, Thomas struck her in the face and pushed her several times, the woman reported.

When deputies arrested Thomas, she denied striking the victim, the report said. But an employee reported that she saw Thomas pushing the manager.

Man accused of breaking into house

SEBRING - Fingerprints helped lead to the arrest of a suspect in the burglary of an Avon Park home, according to an arrest report released Thursday.

A woman had reported that on Oct. 30 someone broke into her home and stole jewelry, as well as breaking a porcelain sunflower, a report said.

Investigators found two fingerprints at the scene, the report said. A deputy told investigators that Gilchrist lives in the area and fits the description of a suspect provided by a neighbor of the woman, the report said.

The fingerprints found at the scene matched fingerprints of Gilchrist on file at the Highlands County Sheriff's Office the report said.